Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Cumberland Child Abusers Sentenced in Court
A Cumberland man and woman received time behind bars in prison for child endangerment and neglect.
Kattie N. Shumaker, 45, of Cumberland, appeared before Muskingum County Common Pleas Court Judge Kelly Cottrill for sentencing on February 5. Her co-defendant and husband David Ellis, age 52, appeared before and was sentenced by Judge Cottrill on February 12.
Shumaker was sentenced to six years in prison, after changing her initial denial of the allegation and admitting her guilt to the court on January 3. At his sentencing hearing, Ellis received six years in prison for his role in the mistreatment of the victims, as well.
On May 9, 2023, Muskingum County Adult and Child Protective Services alerted the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office after the victims reported for educational testing with skin rashes and newly developed major physical disabilities.
Authorities visited Shumaker’s residence that day, finding living conditions to be unhealthy. Additionally, authorities determined that neither victim had received required medical care in a significant amount of time.
Muskingum County Prosecuting Attorney Ron Welch says Shumaker was given a chance to express regret but refused.
“Earlier, during the sentencing hearing for five counts of child endangering, Judge Cottrill did not believe that Shumaker was taking her case seriously,” Prosecutor Welch said. “The judge asked Shumaker and her attorney to review a stack of photographs of Shumaker’s physically harmed children. When Shumaker and the attorney were done, Cottrill asked her if, after having viewed the pictures, she could think of anything she had done which was wrong ‘The only thing I did wrong was be in Muskingum County,’ Shumaker announced prior to being sentenced to 72 months in prison for neglecting her children.”
Prosecutor Welch says Shumaker’s neglect of her children went on for years.
“The evidence presented by the State established Shumaker failed to provide or obtain medical treatment for her children, she failed to provide a clean, disease-free, safe living environment, and she failed to provide education for her children for four years,” Prosecutor Welch said. “As a consequence of Shumaker’s neglect, the children were found in horrific living conditions, suffering, variously, permanent physical disabilities, the removal of multiple teeth, and significant speech and hazardous medical problems. One child is still unable to walk because of Shumaker’s inaction.”
Prosecutor Welch says crimes like those committed by Shumaker against her children will not be tolerated in Muskingum County.
“Judge Cottrill put truth to Shumaker’s words lamenting committing her crime in Muskingum County when he handed down a sentence of six years in prison for the offenses,” Prosecutor Welch said. “It is our hope that no child anywhere in the State of Ohio suffers parental neglect as these children have, but we agree with Shumaker that Muskingum County is absolutely the wrong place to commit crimes. Judge Cottrill’s sentence demonstrates the point very well.”
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